'Blue Valentine' NC-17 Rating Overturned to R Rating

December 9, 2010 (6:03 am) GMT

In the meantime, MPAA has rejected an appeal to reduce 'The King's Speech' rating from R to PG-13.

"Blue Valentine" will be watchable for young audience when it hits limited U.S. theaters on December 31. The drama movie NC-17 rating has been knocked down to R rating following a personal appeal launched by Weinstein Company co-founder Harvey Weinstein to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).

On December 8, the board decided to overturn the rating after they viewed the film and heard arguments from Weinstein, MPAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Kaltman said. According to Deadline Hollywood, the decision was unanimous.

"I am so appreciative that the MPAA was gracious enough to reconsider their rating of the film," lead actor Ryan Gosling said on MPAA's new decision. "I can't express how grateful I am to those in the media who stood up for the film and put their reputations on the line in using their voices to support something they believed in."

Director Derek Cianfrance has also commented on the happy news, stating "We believed in presenting relationships and sexuality with an honesty and truthfulness often lacking in the grand tradition of Hollywood sensationalism. I am thankful the MPAA saw the light and were humble enough to reverse their decision."

The movie was previously granted NC-17 rating for "strong graphic sexual content, language, and a beating", particularly for an explicit sequence where Gosling's character performs oral sex on his wife, portrayed by Michelle Williams.

While Weinstein Company won the appeal for "Blue Valentine", their appeal effort to reduce "The King's Speech" rating from R to PG-13 has been rejected. The movie, which revolves around a King of England portrayed by Colin Firth, was given R rating for the presence of strong language. It has graced selected U.S. cinemas on November 26 and will open wider starting December 10.